Joseph a



J. A. ZAHN.

IGNITER.

APPLlcArloN FILED APR. 22,1921.

Patented Dec,6,1v921.

.To all/whom t may concern.'

"UNITED STATES! Partien"V ort-mr.. i

H "."rosnrn A. ZAHN, orf-Asroninrnnwvonn, AssIGNon 'ro narrar Bnn'rHoLn, or

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remmen.

Be itylrnown that I, JosnPH AfZAHm'a c citizenofthe` UnitedStates, and-residentof by the igniting element may be manually.

Jhstoria, in the county of Queens and State of'New York, have `invented certain "new and useful Improvements `in` Igniters, of which the following is a specification. rI his invention relates to gas" igniting' devic'es of the character wherein an element having catalytic action is depended onto ignite gas issuing from burners, and my `present improvement .is directed to a portable device including a body member, a portion to which the igniting substance is attached, means whereby said igniting element is normally inclosed to exclude `therefrom the deleterious influence of the atmosphere, and automatically retractable, means whereprojected from its closure means when it is to be applied in service.

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

Figure 1 is aside elevation of the device, partly in longitudinal section. s

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial view of the device in longitudinal section, showing the igniting element projected for service, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention I provide a body member 1, which may be circular in cross-section, its end portion 2 being somewhat enlarged, for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter, and its end 3 of .slightly tapering form, bounded by a shoulder 4. Said body member 1 has an axial orifice extended therethrough, to loosely receive a rod or straight, stout length of wire 5, longer than body portion 1, that terminates, at one end, in a handle 6, here shown in the forni of a ring, capable of receiving the thumb or a finger of the user. s

The opposite end of rod 5 axially engages a short, cylindrical block or plug 7, that limits the outward movement of said rod; and a helical spring 8 surrounds the rod 5, between the body end portion 2 and handle 6, to hold the rod extended beyond the body member, at one end thereof, against the limi- Y tation provided by plug 7 bearing against `the other end of said body member.

The plug 7 1s fitted securely Within the ,Specication of Letters Patent.

Y Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

`appliauimined April 22, 1921. serial No. 463,501.

open end of a cylindrical casing 9, whose outer end 10 1s closed, and whose Wall is provided with a series of perforations 11. v

and. carrying a pellet ofplatinum black, or,

the like, as 14. i

"In assembling, it is my practice to emi ploy a frame 13 of suitable length, to be placed, within cylinder 9, so that when the plug 7 is fitted to said cylinder, to close it, the frame 12 will fit tightly against the cylinder end 10 and the plug end, to be thereby localized and held against movement. For, if the frame. 18 were loose within its casing, the slender platinum strands it carries would be liable to rupture.

An outer cylinder or sheath 15, open at both ends, is `tted at one end upon the cylindrical end 8 of the body member, whose slightly tapered form enables a snug and tight joint to be effected between these members; and their union may be rendered more secure as by spinning an annular groove 16 about cylinder 15 for embedment in the surface of end 3.

The cylinder 15 is of suiiicient length to be co-eXtensive with the casing 9, when the rod 5, which carries said casing, is in its normal,retracted position through the tension exerted by spring 8; but, by urging` rod 5 through body member 1, thereby contracting spring 8, the casing 9 will be projected and exposed beyond cylinder 15, and in this condition it can be introduced into a flow of gasfrom a burner for igniting purposes.

The rod 5 carries the washers 17, respec tively at opposite ends of the spring 8, to serve as seats for spring 8, one of said washers lying against the body end portion 2, and the other lying against the rod handle 6.

The device is easily manipulable with one hand by insertion of the thumb or a finger within handle ring 6, and by grasping the body member forwardly of its enlarged portion 2, with the lingers, or with the thumb and lingers, whereby sufficient purchase is found for convenient operation of the device.

By reason of the normally inclosed state of the catalytic igniting element its period of usefulness is greatly prolonged, and it is always kept in serviceable condition.

1.7In a gasigniter, in combination, a body member having an axial'orifice, a cylinder extended at one end of saidrmembei', a Vrod of greater length than said member loosely entered in theaxial orice thereof, a per-` forated, closed casing, an igniting element therein, saidcasing being carried by said rod at one end thereoiand fitting within said cylinder to close its orifices, a handle at the other end Yof said rod, and a helical spring upon said rod, said spring lying between said handle and body member, and serving to extend said rod to thereby hold said casing normally enshea-thed Within said cylinder. y n

2. In a gas ignirter, in combination, a body member having van axial orifice, a. cylinder secured to and extended from one end of Said member, a rod of greater length than said member and loosely enteredin the axial orifice thereof, a plug secured to said rod, a

perforated closed casing, an igniting element therein, said plug serving as the closure for said casing and being carried by Vsaid rod at one end thereof, and said casing said casing normally ensheathed Within said cylinder.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county and State of New York, this 19th day of April, A. D. 1921.

JOSEPH A. ZAHN. 

